Index



Jul 1 1924.

J. H. RAND INDEX Filed Feb. 18 192 3 Sheets-Sheet.

July 1 1924.

J. H. RAND INDEX Filed Feb. 18 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 IIIIIIIII ka'swj Patented .luly l UNITE STATES INDEX.

Application filed February 15, 1921.

T 0 all "whom it may concern Be it known that 1, Jaime H. RAND, citizen of the United States of America, and resident of North Tonawanda, in the county of Niagara and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Indexes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to indexes of the so-called visible index type adapted to dis play removable and interchangeable index strips containing lists of names or similar matter arranged in some orderly or arbitrary sequence. Heretofore index devices of this character have consisted essentially in panels or frames on the face of which are mounted a series of index strips arranged edge to edge. An example of indexes of this character is to be found in Letters Patent of the United States No. 1,025,997, granted to me May 14, 1912. In this kind of index the capacity of each panel or frame is strictly limited by its area, and where the list of names, or other subjectanatter of the index, requires a very large number of index strips, the nitiniibcr running; into the hundreds of thousands in some large mercantile establishments, it will be apparent the an index equipment of the kind heretofore used. hav inn: suilicient capacity, becomes exceedingly bulky, costly and cumbersome to manipu late.

A. principal object of the present invention is greatly to increase the capacity of each index panel or frame without increasinc; its size, thus reducing the bulk and cost of an installation, and rendering it more convenient to use by concentrating or contralizing a greater number of names or other items in si'naller compass.

This I accomplish by mounting; in each main aanel or frame a plurality of overlapping, lunged, subsidiary frames or holders, each carrying; a series of the individual index strips. Each subsidiary frame or holder occupies only the space in the main frame or panel which has heretofore been occupied by an individual index strip, and conse Quently the capacity of the device as a whole is nn'lltiplied by Jl'lG number of individual index strips carried by ich holder. lfor example a panel which has heretofore held 200 index strips Will hold 200 subsidiary frames or holders and if each holder accommodates 50 index strips the capacity of the index containing the present invention will be 10,000

Serial No. 425,953.

index strips instead. of 200. In practice the increase of capacity may be made even greater by increasing; the number of index strips on each subsidiary f 211116 or holder.

Another feature of the invention is its self-indexing capacity by which the exposed marginal index element on each holder becomes an index guide to subject-matter falling in sequence between each exposed index element and the next accnt exposed index element.

Other features will hereinafter be de scribed and particularly pointed out in the claims.

ltn the accon'ipanying drawings which illustrate certain embodiments of the invention,

Figure 1 is front elevation of a part of the index containing a number of holders and illustrating their relation when in use in a main supporting frame;

Figure 2 is a side or edge view of the parts shown in Fig. 1;

Figure is a rear elevation of one individual holders;

Figure l is an enlarged, cross sectional, detail view on line ll of F 3,. the parts being shown of exaggerated thickness for the sake of clcarness;

Figure 5 is a similar enlarged, cross sec tional detail view on line 55 of Fig. 3;

Figure 6 is a front elevation of an indiv'idual holder containing certain modifications;

Figure 7 is an enlai l sectional view on line 7-7 of Fig. ti, part y broken away;

Figure 8 is a similar view to ll ig. 7, showin ra further modification; and

Figure 9 is an isometric view of one form of shield, presently to be described.

The holders for the index strips are mounted in a frame of the type having op-- posed inwardly facing channels to retain the ends of supports on which the holders are hinged. The flanges of the main frame forming the channels, indicated fragmentarily by dotted lines, may be of any usual or preferred form. Such frames are usually made of sheet metal with their lateral. margins bent inwardly to provide inwardly extending; flanges 10. 10, forming channels with the franie back; but the particular construction of the main frame is not iinportant so far as the present invention is concerned.

Each holder is hinged to a support havof the ing laterally projecting ends which are engaged by the flanges 10 of the main frame. As shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 these supports consist of bars or strips of Eristol board 11. The particular form of support, however, is not essential to this in vention, and it may be of any suitable material instead of Bristol board or cardboard, as metal or sheet celluloid, and may be of any usual or preferred form. For example, I have illustrated in Figs. 6, 7 and 8 a form of support 11 consisting of heavy paper, sheet celluloid or other suitable sheet material having bent-over lips 12 which engage and retain a bent-over margin 13 of the card or holder body.

Each holder comprises a card or sheet 1 1, which constitutes the holder body, attached to its support 11, as by staples 15, 15, Figs. 1 and 3, and creased along a line 16 which constitutes a hinge on which the holder swings. The attachment of the card to the support in Figs. 6, 7 and 8 is by means of the folded margin 13. Any suitable form of attachment, and any suitable form of hinge connection may be employed. The structures thus far described may all be of constructions well known in visible indexes, and in and of themselves constitute no part of the present invention.

Each holder has attached to its side ed es, and preferably both on the front and back of the holder, an inwardly extending flange or lip to engage the ends of the indicator strips 17. In the form illustrated in Figs. 1, 3 and 5 these lips are made of suitable resilient sheet material, preferably sheet celluloid, folded around the edge of the holder body to form a front lip 18 and a rear lip 19. Each lip is preferably formed with a rounded, interned edge or b ad 20 to afford a smooth and easy entrance for the ends of the index strips 17, and to provide a handsome and finished appearance. The lip structures are held in place on the edge of the holder body l t by fold or bent-over margin 21 on the latter, which engages the bend of the bead 20 of one of the lips (see Fig. 5) thus securing the entire lip structure to the holder body. The lip structure is applied by slipping itendwise on the folded margin 21. Ohviously the folded margin 21 instead of being integral with the body or card 14c could be made of a strip of sheet material cemented or otherwise secured to the margin of the card.

The free horizontal edge of each holder is also provided with a pocket or sheath of transparent material preferably on each side of the holder, similarly formed of sheet celluloid or other transparent, resilient. sheet material, to provide a front lip 22 and a rear lip 23, Fig. 4, each having an inwardly folded or beaded edge 24 similar to 20 in Fig. This lip structure is held in position on the holder body 11 by a fold or bent-over margin 25 in substantially the same way as the side lip structures. In assembling the parts the side lip structures are first slipped on to the folds 21,, and the free edge lip structure is then slipped on to the fold thereby locking the side lip structures in place.

The index strips 17, which may bear names in alphabetical order, or other inscriptions arranged in predetermined se quence according to the subject matter of the index, are held at their ends by the side flanges or lips, which are made of resilient material and are so formed as to exert a pinch on the ends of the index strips, preventing them from overriding one another, or from becoming dislodged or closing together, even if one or more of the strips be removed thereby leaving spaces or gaps. The resilient lips moreover, make it possible to use index strips of very light and "iexible material such as thin paper without danger of their becoming disarranged. l t non-resilient lips are used, the index strips must be su'l'liciently thick and still so that they will support one another edge to edge.

The last or endmost index strip 1T on each side of the holder is inserted in the sheath formed by the lip 22 or 23. These endmost index strips will always be exposed to view through the transparent lips, either on the obverse side of the holders as illustrated at the bottom of Fig. 1 when the holders hang downward in normal position, or on the reverse side of the holder whenv the latter are swung upward on their hinges as illustrated at the top of Fig. 1, since the holders are mounted in the main frame in overlapped, spaced relation by the supports 11.

in order to have the index strips in nor mal position, right-side up to the view of the user, the strips on the obverse sides of the holders will be arranged in sequence from the hinged edge toward the free edge of the holder. while the strips on the reverse sides of the holders will be upside down and arranged in sequence from the free edge toward the hinged edge of the holder. Thus when a holder is swung up ward to expose its reverse side. the index elen'ients will appear right-side up and in orderly sequence.

To facilitati inspection of the index and to prevent injuring. disarranjl'ing or soiling the index strips by running a finger or pointer over them, a cover or shield pro vided. consisting of a strip 253 overlying the whole series of index slips. The shield preferably made of transparent sheet material such as celluloid. so that the inscrip tions on the index slip may be read tlrroug'h it. It may be of any desirml idth. and

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placed in any desired lateral position. Thus in l igs. 1 and 3 it is shown at the middle of the holder, While in Fig. 6 it is shown at one side covering; the column of names along which a user might .i'iaturally run the index finger to locate the desired name. The shield 26 may be variously held in position. It may be made with an upturned lip 2? which engages the fold Ell, as illustrated in Fig. 4: or 8, thus looking it in place. To insert the shield of? this construction it is merely pushed down into the pocket termed by lip 22 or 23 until the lip 2'3" snaps under lip fill; itis removed by sliding, endwise of lip 22 or Or, it may be made with a straight unfolded edge at eaon end see Figs. (3 and 7 one end being tucked into the poclret at the free edge of the holder and the other end heingr held by a tongue 28 i orn'ied on the holder body i l. The sl'iields 26 moreover help to hold the index slips flat and in place.

t loine of the dili erences between the modifications shown in (5 to 8 and the form shown in the other figures, have already been described. The orincipal additional dii'lerence consists in the fact that provision is made for applying' the index strips to only one side oi the holders instead of both sides. Retaining lips or flanges are tleefore provided only on one side of the holder body 141:. Suchv lips, as herein shown, consist of folded pieces of sheet celluloid coinprising a rear flap 529, which may be a'i; tached by a piece of gunnned fabric 30, or by cementor in any other suitaliile Way, to the margin of the card or holder body i l, and rront flange or lip 31. The side flanges may be siniil: rly termed and at tached. The general purpose and mode of use of: these modifications is the same as that (iii the form shown in l lies. ft to 5, but the index will have only half the capacity of the other town as only one side of each holder is utilized for the index slips.

From the :l oregoinp; description it will be seen that the main frame .10 carries a series of removable and interchanp'eable subsidiary frames in the form of holdc s the sev eral subsidiary frames being mounted one above another in overlapped spaced relation with their treeniargins priii iect ing one beyoi'id another, each being hinged to its support. [is many subsidiary trames or holders may he 1 d as desufed, the non n.-

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ing; to any other arbitrary sequence accord ing to the classification or plan adopted for the particular index, the sequence running continuously fr m one holder to the next. Thus the device is self-indexing, the. exposed index element on the projectingmargin of each holder constituting an index for the matter between itself and the next exposed index element. No index tabs nor other special. indexing contriya-nces are nec essary to guide the user to the desired item. For illustration, referring to Fig. 1, if the user desires to refer to the name Dudleyj' or some name alphabetically subsequent to Dean but prior to Emerson, he "will swing the holder having Dean on its exposed margin upwards thereby disclosing all names between Dean and Emerson. Tans the exposed items of the series, no matter What particulzur items may appear on the projecting n'iargins of the holders, constitute index o ides by which. the Whole series is subdivided, the series being sell indexinp; and requiring no extraneous indexing guides.

I claim:

1. An index comprising a main frame, aplurality oi": holders mounted on the main frame in overlapped, spaced relation with their free margins projecting one beyond another, and a series of index elements mounted on each holder, the endmost indexing element being on the projecting margin of the holder and normally exposed to View.

2. An index comprising a main frame, a plurality of holders mounted on the main frame in overlapped, spaced relation With their free margins projecting one beyond another, and a series of index elements mounted on the holders and bearing inscriptions arranged in a predetermined order of sequence throughout the several holders, whereliiy the exposed index elements on the projecting" margins of the holders constitute sch-indexing means for the Whole series.

3. An illClGX conuprising a. main frame, plurality of holders mounted on the main frame in overlapped, spaced relation with their free margins projecting one beyond another, and a series of index elements mounted on both sides of the holders and hearing inscriptions arranged in a predetermined order of s quence throughout the several holders, whereby the exposed index elements on the projecting margins ol the holders constitute self-indexing means for the Whole series.

4:. fin index comprising a main frame, a plurality oil. holders mounted on the main frame in overlapped, spaced relation with their free margins projecting one beyond another, each holder comprising a body haying inwardly extending lips on the side edges of the body, and a. sheath oit transparent material forming a pocket on the free projecting margin of the body, a series of index strips held at their ends by said side lips on the several holders, and an index strip in said pocket.

5. An index comprising a main frame, a plurality of holders mounted on the main frame in overlapped, spaced relation with their free margins projecting one beyond another, each holder comprising a body having inwardly extending lips on the side edges of the body and on both obverse and reverse faces thereof, and a sheath of transparent material forming pockets on both obverse and reverse faces 01 the free margin of the body, said lips and pockets being adapted to hold index strips.

6. A holder for index elements comprising a support, a rectangular body attached at one edge to the support, a told at each of the other three edges, and a lip structure bent around the edge oi each of said three unattached edges to i'orni inwardly extending lips on both sides of the body, one of said lips being inwardly turned and cooperating with the told on. the edge of the body to attach the lip structure to the body.

7. A holder for index elements comprising a support, a rectangular body attached at one edge to the support, a fold at each of the other three edges, and a lip structure bent around the edge of each of said three unattached edges to form inwardly extending lips on both sides of the body, one of said lips being inwardly turned and cooperating with the told on the edge of the body to attach the lip structure to the body, the lip structure at the edge opposite the attached edge of the body extending across the ends of the side lip structures and locking them in position.

8. A holder for index strips comprising a body, a plurality of index strips arranged side by side on the body, means to hold said index strips at their ends, a pocket at the free edge 01' the body, and a protective shield extending across the index strips, one edge of the shield being held in said pocket.

a. A holder for index strips comprising a body, a plurality of index strips arranged side by side on the body, means to hold said index strips at their ends, a pocket at the free edge of the body, and a protective shield extending across the index strips, one edge of the shield being held in said pocket, and means on the body to engage the opposite edge of the shield.

10. A holder for index strips comprising a body, a plurality of index strips arranged side by side on the body, means to hold said index strips at their ends, a. pocket at the free edge oi the body having an inturned edge, and a protective shield extending across the index strips having a folded edge adapted to engage the inturned edge of the pocket.

Signed by me at North 'lonawanda, New York this fourteenth day of February, 1921.

JAMES H. RAND. 

